November - December (14)

To someone who loves to walk, it doesn’t get much better than Turkey’s Lycian Way. It has everything a hiker would want; breathtaking views, secluded beaches, exciting cliffside trails, deep cool forests, ancient history, picturesque villages, and lovely pensions to overnight in. Turkey’s first long distance walking route in the southwest, hugging the entire Teke Peninsula, is truly a bucket-list dream destination. It travels for 540 kilometers (335 miles) between the cities of Fethiye and Antalya, and much of the life along the Lycian Way has not changed for centuries.

So many Christmas markets spring up all over Germany that your clients - and you - may find the possibilities overwhelming. Almost anywhere you suggest will have at least one square filled with colorful cabins fragrant with evergreen boughs, hot mulled wine and spicy ginger cookies. While you could plan an itinerary that takes in markets in several major cities or regions, your clients can enjoy a richer experience with a lot less stress by visiting one area where there is a wide variety of different markets. Nowhere is this easier than in Baden-Württemberg, Germany’s southwest corner that includes the Black Forest.

With multiple award-winning hotels, over 500 miles of Adriatic coastline, world-class gastronomy, quirky and unique museums and so much more, who wouldn’t want to visit Croatia? This historic country in Eastern Europe is now commanding the attention it deserves, and travelers have taken notice. In just the second quarter of this year, revenues from tourism reflected an increase of 5.3 percent compared to the same period last year. Tourism numbers from 2015 were surpassed in September 2016. It’s a hot destination.

There are many great palaces near Paris, just a day-trip away. However, if you want to see a completely furnished French palace, you must visit the Palace of Compiegne. Compiegne is so “undiscovered” that the official website is in French. Compiegne’s history ties in to Versailles and even Vienna’s elegant Schoenbrunn Palace. It was the meeting place of Europe’s royalty.

In the adventure sector, Central and South American destinations continue to rise. The bio-diversity and ever-changing landscapes lend themselves to all, from nature watching to intrepid adventures, and everything in between. These three adventure destinations each have the well-tread, iconic hotspots, as well as the hidden gems.

Comprised of two towns, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, Los Cabos provides an active adventure or low-key escape based on traveler’s interests. Sandwiched between an expansive desert and the coastlines of the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortes, this destination has seen a record number of visitor arrivals for the last three years in a row. And, with a growing number of hotels and one of the highest national occupancy rates, at around 80%, Mexico’s resort destination of Los Cabos is set for another growth spurt.

The agenda was ambitious at the annual State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) held this year at the Hilton Barbados Resort. The pre-eminent tourism gathering in the region, the conference was organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in collaboration with Barbados’ Ministry of Tourism and International Transport and the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI). With the theme Honouring Our Legacy, Defining Our Future, the week-long event was action-central for tourism influencers from hotel and airline executives and resort owners to directors of tourism, government officials and travel agents. Addressing a record 520 delegates, Richard Sealy, minister of tourism for Barbados, reported an impressive spike in visitors to the Caribbean. He said, “The region recorded 28.7 million arrivals in 2015, which means we are on target to reach 30 million which is a very healthy state of affairs.” Echoing his optimism, Hugh Riley, secretary general for the CTO added, “The Caribbean is on track for another banner year. Our task now is to ensure all key metrics keep pace with arrivals.” SOTIC 2017 will take place next fall in Grenada. www.onecaribbean.org

The 2016 Visit Japan Travel Mart (www.vjtm.jp) held September 21-23 at Tokyo Big Sight, included 450 domestic sellers and 358 buyers from overseas. Many of the domestic exhibitors were new, locally-based experiential travel companies offering unique hands-on and off-the-beaten track cultural and adventure experiences that can be packaged by US travel companies.

A herd of about 30 elephants come within about 50 feet of our open safari vehicle. Suddenly, one turns toward us, lowers its head and starts running. Our driver coolly eases out of its path. He says it is a false charge. You could have fooled me.You never know what to anticipate on a Southern African safari. But, the many luxurious bush lodges are no surprise. Here is a sample of some in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia. Each is unique and all-inclusive including game drives. Note that many are only accessible by charter jet.

NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organization, invites travelers from every corner of the globe to visit the destination during one of the most festive seasons of the year. From the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that kicks off the season in November to the Christmas Tree lighting in Rockefeller Center and the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square, there are countless reasons to visit New York City at the end of the year. “There is no more festive time of the year to visit New York City than the annual holiday season-it’s a time of year when the City’s hotels, attractions, restaurants and shops put their best foot forward to offer more than five million visitors a unique and memorable travel experience,” said Fred Dixon, NYC & Company’s president and CEO.